Allegro (Sonata of the Sea) 1908

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis made 'Allegro (Sonata of the Sea)' with a brush, probably using oils, but it has the fineness of watercolor. Imagine Ciurlionis in front of his canvas, coaxing those layers of color into being. What do you think he was trying to capture? I see a landscape but also something deeper, more emotional, like a mood made visible. The colors—warm yellows and oranges blending into cooler purples and blues—create this feeling of shifting light, like the sun setting over the water. I love how the painting has these little dots all over, almost like tiny musical notes dancing across the surface. They give it this rhythmic quality, a sense of movement and energy. As a painter, I know how hard it is to get that kind of flow. You have to let the paint do its thing, let it breathe. I think Ciurlionis would have been into Rothko and other colourists. We are all always looking at each other's work. It’s all one big conversation.